The ongoing Budget Session of Parliament may not conclude as scheduled on April 2, with the Centre likely to reconvene both Houses later this month for a brief sitting, according to news agency PTI.
Sources told PTI that instead of adjourning sine die, the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are expected to adjourn proceedings on Thursday with an announcement that the session will resume on a specified date in the third week of April.
The additional sitting is expected to last two to three days.
During this extended period, the government is likely to introduce a Constitution amendment bill aimed at modifying the provisions of the women's reservation law — the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — to facilitate an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha from the current 543 to 816 seats.
The proposed expansion would include reserving at least 273 seats, or 33%, for women, PTI reported citing sources.
The reservation is also expected to follow a vertical framework, ensuring quotas for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within the women's quota.
The move is linked to broader plans to operationalise the women's reservation law, which was enacted in 2023 after receiving assent from President Droupadi Murmu. However, its implementation was contingent upon a fresh delimitation exercise following the next census.
According to the report, the government is now considering amendments to enable the rollout of reservations without waiting for the delimitation and census processes. Alongside the constitutional amendment, an ordinary bill to amend the Delimitation Act may also be introduced.
Sources indicated that the redrawing of constituencies could be based on the 2011 Census, instead of waiting for the next census cycle. Similar seat expansion and reservation measures are also expected to be extended to state assemblies on a pro-rata basis.
If approved by Parliament, the changes could come into effect from March 31, 2029, and be implemented in the next general elections as well as in upcoming assembly polls in states such as Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh.
The proposal has, however, drawn political criticism. The Congress has alleged that the government is attempting to “bulldoze” a bill to expand the Lok Sabha by 50%.
Party leader Jairam Ramesh claimed the move could disproportionately impact representation of smaller states, particularly in southern, northeastern and western regions. There has been no official confirmation from the government on the proposed extension or the legislative agenda.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
